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Tigerlily · Newbie

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Ruthy · Senior Member

Tigerlily if you have a look at my earlier posts you will see that I went through the same thing and the way I solved the problem was to start my own NA meeting and I'm so glad I did......

Raman · Guru

There are no strangers in NA, only friends who havent met yet !!!
How true this is Tigerlilly and Ruthy....

Gosh,, three addicts for three different corners of the globe with exactly the same experience...

I had the same troubles too,, I was in the same predicament; not allowed in AA to share about addiction and the feelings that went with it.
I dd service in AA to pay back a debt of gratitude and in the meanwhile met addicts who came to AA and were in the same predicament as I...

In fact that lead to the birth of NA her and now we have NA in all corners of this city..
I also used a publication called Meeting By Mail to keep in contact with other recovering addicts in those days of snail mail.
Now we have the net and we have this fabulos forum to share in, leaving me thinking
"Never Alone"

Keep coming back, so am I !!

Dave R · Guru

Maybe you can find some NA meetings outside of town? Hopefully, there are some in your vicinity. I helped to start an NA meeting in my town 25 years ago when all we had was AA. That meeting was vital to my recovery. Hope things work out for you and welcome!

avid · Guru

NA is a different fellowship for sure.
Yes the steps are the same (basically) but how we work them is completely different.
Our literature speaks to the disease of addiction not a particular substance.
Starting your own group can be a daunting task for a newb, but it may be your only choice.
Why not travel to some NA meetings,and share what your going through and ask for help. You might be pleasantly surprised.
good luck!
and keep posting here. we need you too.

MIKEF · Guru

Welcome we are here for each other!! It is amazing though how many people I'VE heard share at the other fellowship referring to "and a' ...I AM AN ALCOHOL AND A ADDICT.Some rooms had problems ,others didin't.We suffer from the disease of addiction,physical mental and spiritual Illness.,Narcotics Anonymous is all inclusive and focuses on the disease and not the substance,,,any mind altering ,mood changing substance!Glad you are here.....we need you........ smile

.........

Raman · Guru

Funny thin thouh was that in AA, few uys we addicts could do ourselves a favour and start a meetins for us.

And that in itself did not happen without the suport of addicts that travelled thru this place and who shared by mail on waht to do and how to do it !!

So now, 23 years later,,,,, 16 meetins a week,,

shaw nuff, NA works,, all over the whole wide World !!!

rocky · Senior Member

that is their prob don't let it get in the way of your recovery i still intro myself as an alcoholic and an addict if i don't watch myself welcome keep coming back

Raman · Guru

" Do us and yourselves a favour, get the hell out of here and start your own meetings."

"We dont want people from respectable families sitting here with you addicts and getting AA a bad name."

"Think of AA's reputation when alcoholics come here and find these dammned addicts sitting here, what happpens to our reputation ?"

"A bunch of bloody lunatics, cant understand them , cannot identify with them"...

Those statements were repeated many times, we are feeling hurt and rejected with nowhere else to go, till we started our own meetings.

We addicts could sit in a room full of addicts, and without fear or worry say
"I am an addict".

That is the call of the soul, to tell others Im an addict...

Bright part is, we addicts were very spiritual,,, had to be i order to saty clean against those odds,,,, and we paid all pending debts to AA through service to that Fellowship.

Raman · Guru

Dark part was the ostracism,, the social rejection faced at AA meetings,,,
bright part was it prompted us to start NA meetings....

"The fruits of a labour of love lie in the harvest,
and that shall come in it's own time"
(Basic Txt,, heading page).

Raman · Guru

I remember the severe backlash faced when AA members were given NA IP pamphlets.

One guy charged me at the meeting and sceamed at me
"What the hell,, im not a bloody addict"..

"Stay away from him" was the warning given to many newcomers that wanted what I had,,

Raman · Guru

The had a long meeting on Tradition Two.
Then they took a decision,
" Yes he can attend our meetings, but he cannot share about drugs and he canot share in our Conventions because the public will get the wrong idea about who we are.
He can be with us but cannot be one of us"..

Raman · Guru

And inspite of all that, I slogged like a dog,, doing service in three groups, attending every meeting of AA for five years, slaving at Convetions and being a sub-servient "outsider".

Raman · Guru

I got so used to that familiar pain, thinking
"Aw its better than doing drugs again"

That is why it's said that the theraputic value of one addict helping another is without parallel because one addict can best understand and help another addict !!

And I proved, even though I was not consciously doing that then, that our identification as addict is all inclusive, so we are in a better position to help any kind of addict, including them that were addicted to alcohol..

Raman · Guru

The rottenness and insensitivity came to a end when I began to associate and identify with others in NA groups...

Raman · Guru

And now those damn days hound me in NA,,
People here in NA take AA's as sponsors and some of the older AA's remember me.

Then you have those sponsors misguidin these new members about me....
Just because I shared in meetings that Im greatful that I can recover with other recoverin addicts and dont have to pretend to be an alcoholic anymore...................

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